NIT Tickets
Greenville, S.C. – The Furman men's basketball team has earned an at-large bid to the National Invitation Tournament and will travel to face the No. 2 seed North Texas Mean Green on Wednesday, March 19, in Denton, Texas, it was announced Sunday evening by the NIT Selection Committee.
Wednesday's tip-off is slated for 8 p.m. EDT at UNT Coliseum and the first-round matchup will be streamed live on ESPN+. The winner will advance to face either Saint Louis or No. 3 seed Arkansas State on March 22 or 23 with third round action set for March 25-26. Butler University's Hinkle Fieldhouse will play host to the NIT semifinals on April 1 and the championship game on April 3.
The Paladins enter the NIT at 25-9 overall and have won six of their last seven games. After finishing the regular season on a four-game winning streak, Furman toppled Samford in the Southern Conference Men's Basketball Championship quarterfinals and eliminated Chattanooga in a semifinal overtime thriller before dropping a 92-85 decision to Wofford in the SoCon finals in Asheville, N.C., on Monday night. Wins over Missouri Valley Conference member Belmont, American Athletic Conference foe Tulane, Ivy League power Princeton, three victories over Samford, and a postseason triumph over SoCon regular season champion Chattanooga highlight the Paladins' 2025 resume. Furman's 25 wins are tied for second most in program history behind the Paladins' school-record 28 victories in 2023.
The at-large selection marks Furman's third trip to the NIT and first since 2019. In 1991, Furman received an NIT bid following its SoCon regular season title and dropped an 86-67 verdict in opening round play at West Virginia. The 2019 Paladins earned a first-round home game versus Wichita State, but the Shockers edged the Paladins, 76-70, at Timmons Arena.
Senior
PJay Smith Jr. leads the Paladins averaging 18.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game. The first team All-SoCon choice and Lou Henson Award (Mid-Major Player of the Year) finalist ranks among the national leaders shooting 42.1% behind the arc. Graduate student
Nick Anderson, a first-year transfer from Barry University, has contributed 14.7 points per game and was a third team All-SoCon choice.
The Mean Green, the 2023 NIT champions, are 24-8 overall and finished second in the American Athletic Conference standings with a 14-4 record this season. North Texas, 15-1 at home this season, fell to UAB in the semifinal round of the AAC Tournament this weekend.
Stay tuned to FurmanPaladins.com for more information on the Paladins' NIT journey.
